4 arrested, 1 sought after fight

Updated 11:36 pm, Monday, February 20, 2012

DANBURY -- Four men were in custody and a fifth was being sought after one of two young Danbury men who met for a fight Monday evening pulled a machete on his rival, police said.

No one was stabbed or slashed as a result of the incident, which occurred shortly before 7 p.m. behind the War Memorial near Rogers Park, police said.

The machete-wielding assailant, identified as Paul Bongiorno, 19, of Town Hill Avenue, failed to connect with his intended target, William Hendricks, 23, of Hakim Street, but one wild swing damaged a car in the parking lot, Lt. Shaun McColgan said.

Hendricks managed to knock his opponent to the ground, but was then attacked by three of Bongiorno's friends, who were waiting in another car, McColgan said.

Hendricks managed to get away, and Bongiorno and his companions also fled on foot after someone inside the War Memorial called police. But officers found three of them a short distance away and also took Hendricks into custody.

McColgan said the two chief antagonists had exchanged text messages earlier in the evening and agreed to meet to settle their differences in person.

Hendricks was charged with breach of peace and released on a written promise to appear in court.

Bongiorno is being held on $100,000 bond and is charged with breach of peace, second-degree threatening, criminal mischief, attempted first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit assault and possession of a dangerous weapon.

His two alleged companions -- Patrick Ellis, 20, of Town Hill Avenue, and Diano Grima, 21, of Library Place -- were charged with breach of peace and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, police said. Grima also was charged with possession of marijuana, police said.